What’s the most well-known red grape in the world? What is the grape that’s the blessed child of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc? Why, it’s Cabernet Sauvignon of course! Originally from France, it’s now known and grown throughout the world. In the US, the most famous area, producing possibly the best and the best known wines, is northern California’s NAPA. California is blessed with abundant sunshine in summer and fall; warm days means few problems with ripening in Napa which produces award winning spectacular wines, wines that have caught the attention of critics since the infamous “Judgment of Paris” which pitted California wines against French ones. While Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in a variety of soil types, Napa Valley’s regions provide differences: Rutherford has alluvial, dusty soils offering a distinct quality of “Rutherford dust.” Higher elevations also offer distinct characteristics. 

Like Chardonnay (which we wrote about here), Cabernet Sauvignon reflects winemaker choices — when to pick, whether to blend and how, how much oak to use and when, and more. The small size and thick skin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape means lots of tannins and flavors, especially if there’s prolonged skin contact. Oak barrels soften the tannins by allowing in oxygen, and the type of barrel — age, toast, region of origin — also influences what you experience on your palate.

Heading into the holidays, as you are looking for that special wine for the many events coming up, there’s plenty of opportunities to open up a fabulous bottle of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon! We have four for you to consider plus pairings for you to enjoy on Winter Solstice December 21, Christmas Day December 25, Hanukkah December 25 to January 1, Kwanzaa December 26 to January 1, then New Years Eve December 31, and into 2025! And this month we’ve already celebrated–

• Cabernet Franc Day December 4 with memories and wines from the Loire, France
• Fondue Fun with Family and Friends with Sparkling Wine from Germany
• The Cold Full Moon December 16 which is also Pinot Meunier (Moon-YAY!) Day with wine from Champagne, France (read here)
• plus Holidays and Napa Chardonnay from Flora Springs, Sequoia Grove, Smith-Madrone, and Frog’s Leap!

Let the light shine! Happy Solstice! Cheers!

Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 

• 2020 Frog’s Leap Rutherford, Napa Valley
• 2019 Sequoia Grove Rutherford, Napa Valley 
• 2019 Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley   
• 2018 Flora Springs “Trilogy” Napa Valley Family Estate 
• Read about Chardonnay from these four wineries here along with pairings.
• These wines are all samples for my review.

Holiday Menu for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

• Baked Brie —
  you can just pop a round in a over safe dish or wrap in pie crust 
• Roasted Pear Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Walnuts with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
  you can roast in the over or on the grill; cook the pear, stuff, then make it melty  
• Twice Baked Potatoes
  so many options here but don’t make it too rich
• Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Salt Pork and Shallots
  do it in a sheet pan to make it easier 
• Grilled and Smoked Prime Rib Steaks 
  Marshall smoked them for an hour to a 110 degrees, then seared them on the fire top finish them off. 

2020 Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley

ABV: 13.8%
SRP: $75
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
sample for my review

We love the lightness and the elegance of the Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. We also love that they dry farm their grapes which are grown organically and biodynamically. I can only imagine how much more I’d love this wine in a few years! I am looking forward to visiting this winery the next time I get to Napa to learn more.

Appearance:  Rich, dense and dark, maroon velvety curtains, ruby rim, youthful and bright, very pretty

Aroma: Spicy, baking spice, herbal, eucalyptus, sage, cherry pipe tobacco, loamy earth, Rutherford dust, very inviting, dusty rose, black licorice 

Palate: Bright tart cherry, cherry pipe tobacco, big and bold in flavor, smooth mellow tannins, cocoa nibs, dark chocolate covered cranberries, menthol, clean finish, no smoke taint, very light and enjoyable, sip-able enough to enjoy on its own, great companion for food

Pairing: The salt pork in the brussels sprouts brings out beautiful fruit in the wine. The roasted garlic in the twice baked potatoes was highlighted by the wine. The flavor and richness of the meat is also lovely with this wine. The thyme in the pear salad dressing was a highlight; this beautiful festive salad was absolutely perfect with the wine. This wine loves garlic, like in the bread and potatoes, and is enhanced by the flavor.

2019 Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, Napa Valley 

ABV: 14.9%
SRP: $55 
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
sample for my review

The Sequoia Grove Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is  very nice wine that’s also made from grapes grown sustainably. Another winery I want to visit next time I get to Napa to learn more! And next time I write about this winery I promise to share a picture of the sequoia tree they sent me– which I will transfer from the 5 gallon pot into the ground soon in 2025! 

Appearance:  medium density, ruby with a mauve rim

Aroma: Caramel apple, ponderosa or Jeffery pine, cherry 

Palate: Bright cherry fruit, cherry fruit roll up, dried Turkish apricot, bold textural tannins, fruit forward without being sweet. This is not a heavy fruit bomb, doesn’t taste hot, does not pack the punch of a high alcohol wine. Blackberry, pine, pine needle, pine nut, Rutherford dust, dusty rose, earthen, almond.

Pairing: The Sequoia Grove Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon loves the fresh garlic in the garlic bread and the freshness of the salad. I did not really care for the wine with the brussels sprouts as the sweet roasted caramelization of the veg was a bit too rich for the wine. The richness of the smoke in the meat brings out a lovely cherry fruit in the wine and it also works well with the rich twice baked potato. 

2019 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley 

ABV: 14.3%
SRP: $65 for current release 2021 vintage 
Grapes: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc
1523 cases produced 
sample for my review

Stu Smith General Partner and Enologist at Smith-Madrone told me, “Wine’s first obligation is to give pleasure—it’s hedonistic.”

I love the power and the fruit in  the Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon as well as the balance and intensity yet it has restraint. And it’s all pleasure.

In 2019, I visited Stu Smith at Smith-Madrone at the winery nestled in the Madrone trees which embrace the non-till, estate-grown, sustainably farmed mountain vineyard. This vintage saw 18 months in 55% new French oak. The blend of these three grapes in different proportions depend on the vintage; a hint of Cabernet Franc is a signature note. There was no 2020 vintage due to the Glass fire; read my interview with Stu Smith here to learn more.

In 1971, as a grad student at UC Davis, Stu found this site on Spring Mountain 1800′ above the Napa Valley dividing Napa from Sonoma Counties. “What a small winery should be doing is making something that is unique to us and to the site,” Stu told me. “It’s your view of the world and your view of what wine should be so in making wine you make thousands of decisions all the time and you have a vision of what you make.

“We make wines for ourselves, our palate,” said Stu, “we don’t make wines for other people’s scores or reviews; we don’t do something just to get scores and reviews.”

Visit Smith-Madrone when you can — it’s definitely worth the drive up Spring Mountain!

Appearance:  Medium plus density, a bit cloudy, ruby, garnet rim, looks unfined and unfiltered

Aroma: Plum, jalapeno pepper, pepperonccini, raspberry, tobacco, tomato leaf, savory, plum, crackers, cherry, herbal, bay

Palate: Juicy, fruity, balanced, dry, beautiful tannins, very tasty, raspberry, rhubarb, plum skin, bell pepper, black pepper, black currant tea.

Pairing: The meat and Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful pairing, and worked well with the horseradish on Marshall’s steak playing into all of the green notes in the wine. The smokey richness of the meal plays into the bright rich fruit. The twice baked potato was also a hit with the wine, both of them had wonderful layers of flavors and are indulgently rich, then when going back to the wine the bright lovely fruit complemented the richness of the dish. It also worked well with the brussels sprouts, and with the fresh garlic on the garlic bread? It springs your right into a heavenly space. This wine went well with the salad but fought a bit with the lemon and the sweetness of the dressing however it loved the thyme in the dressing. 

2018 Flora Springs “Trilogy” Napa Valley Family Estate

ABV: 14.5%
SRP: $85; current 2021 vintage is $100
Grapes: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petite Verdot, 3% Malbec
5500 Cases produced
sample for my review

Flora Springs “Trilogy” was a beautiful beast, the black stallion of the night.

Appearance:  Dark and dense, prune juice, a bit cloudy, dark ruby with a garnet rim. 

Aroma: Rhubarb, Strawberry rhubarb pie, toast, pipe tobacco, cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla, oaky, woodsy, cedar. 

Palate: Rich, heavy, cherry, cherry tobacco, heady, Brutish, bold tannins, more fruit, very dry, cherry cola, cocoa nibs. 

Pairing: The Flora Springs “Trilogy” is a great wine for a holiday gathering… but it wasn’t  the greatest with our salad which we loved so much throughout the meal with all of the other wines. It just became a caramel mess in your mouth, too sweet, too sticky, totally uninteresting together. Perfect with the twice baked potatoes: there are layers of flavors in both the wine and the food. The brussels sprouts were also amazing with the wine–together the char and the sweet roasted shallots were a perfect companion to this rich Napa wine. So perfect with the fresh garlic in the garlic bread. This wine was by far the best with our juicy smoky steak.